


Mills Girls

by suseagull04



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Inspired by Outlaw Queen Week 2019 (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2020-10-29 05:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20791616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suseagull04/pseuds/suseagull04
Summary: When Regina's sister dies, she's left to raise her niece on her own.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by Anam's manip from OQ Movie Week.

The bell that appeared to have hung over the door of the diner for the entirety of its existence rang as Regina and Margot stepped over the threshold for the first time. Regina had been meaning to try Robin’s Diner for far too long, and had finally decided that Margot’s first day in Storybrooke was the day to do it. Her friend Tiana, who was head chef at the inn they ran together under the supervision of Mr. Gold, while critical of Robin’s cooking, had raved about his coffee. So of course, Regina, avid coffee drinker that she was, had to try it.

Heads turned as they entered, and Regina and Margot glanced at each other. Margot looked toward the perfect booth, secluded, but not tucked away in the corner, and Regina nodded.

As soon as they sat down, a girl with long brown hair and red highlights walked up to them. “Welcome to Robin’s, I’m Ruby, and I’ll be your waitress today. What can I get for you?”

“Coffee, coffee, coffee!” Regina exclaimed, making Margot and Ruby laugh simultaneously.

“Coffee it is then,” Ruby confirmed before turning to Margot. “And for you?”

“Um... “ Margot pondered, looking down at the menus Ruby had placed on the table in front of them. “Mango smoothie please.”

“Coming right up!” Ruby said cheerfully over her shoulder as she walked behind the bar.

Regina watched Margot as Ruby walked away. Ever since Zelena’s death and the discovery of her will, which left Margot in Regina’s care, Regina had been filled with nerves about all aspects of her new role as both   
Margot’s aunt and adoptive mother. Margot had always seen her as the cool aunt, and Regina was afraid that not only would she not be able to carry out the discipline aspect of parenting Margot, but that if the occasion arose that she would need to pull the parent card, Margot would rebel, claiming that as her aunt and not her mother, Regina would have no right to do the things that only a parent could do. 

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Regina grasped her purse, where she had stashed the letter addressed to her that they had found with Zelena’s will. Although it didn’t comfort Regina in some of her weakest moments, it did help alleviate her anxiety enough that she carried it with her wherever she went. Zelena’s words came to her now:

Dear Regina,

Although I know we both hate to admit it, as I write this letter, my time helping Margot become the strong, kind woman I raised her to be is coming to an end. Take care of her for me, would you? I’m sure you’ll have your doubts, fears that you’ll be just like our mother was with us growing up, but I know you’ll be a much better guardian for Margot than our mother ever was to us. You’ll doubt this when you read these words, but I know that you’ll rise to the challenge and find it in you to love and care for Margot as much as I always have. Teach her to love and show compassion for everyone she meets. Teach her that no matter what, life is always worth it if one only learns to look on the bright side of every scenario. 

I love you both, and wish more than anything that I could stay. Remember that I’ll always be with you.

All my love,

Zelena

Thinking of the letter still folded in her purse made Regina’s throat tighten and tears threaten to trickle down her cheeks, but remembering where she was, she forced herself to regain her composure and focus on her niece, pushing all thoughts of her sister aside until she could have a moment alone at home to deal with all of the feelings she thought she’d dealt with when her sister passed away a week ago.

“So, what do you think you’ll get?” she asked her new daughter.

Margot’s long hair fell away from her face as she looked up at Regina, the lights of the diner reflecting off of her glasses. “I have no idea. I also have a feeling that no matter what I choose, it won’t be the wrong choice. This just seems like the type of place that no matter what you get, it’s all good.”

She nodded in agreement. The menu had everything, from soups and salads to entrees that made her mouth water and would surely appall Margot’s grandmother. Cora was never known for her good taste in food, always subjecting the Mills sisters to dishes that she claimed were delicacies, but in reality, given that Regina and Zelena couldn’t even pronounce some of the names, they couldn’t find it in themselves to enjoy them. “But if you had to choose?”

“Robin’s grilled cheese,” Margot decided just as Ruby walked up to them, pen and notepad in hand, ready to jot down their order. 

“What side?” Ruby asked her. Regina tuned them out for a minute to glance down at the menu. Robin’s grilled cheese sounded like a culinary masterpiece, crab dip (prepared Maryland style, we promise! the menu advertized) topped with cheddar cheese and bacon between two slices of bread. The only part she’s a little skeptical about were the jalapeños- she loved spicy food as much as the next girl, but not on a grilled cheese, and not with crab. 

“And for you?” Ruby asked, looking toward Regina. 

Without having the time to look at the rest of the menu, Regina decided to get the same thing- with the one slight variation, of course. “Robin’s grilled cheese with no jalapeños, please.”

“And for your side?”

Oh, shoot. For all her decisiveness about almost everything else in her life, Regina had never been good at choosing what food she wanted. So much so, in this case, that it seemed she had forgotten that she would need to choose a side to go with her sandwich.

“What are my options?” Regina asked, saving herself, Margot, and the poor waitress the hassle of waiting for her to both find the list of side dishes and decide which one she wanted.

She listened to Ruby with rapt attention, and immediately decided against classic sides like fries or chips before finally hearing one that was a little unusual as a side for a diner, but sounded so delicious that she knew she had to try it. “Potato salad, please.”

Ruby smiled. “Coming right up!” She turned, heels making a racket on the tile floor, and walked toward the kitchen.

The diner’s bell rang as another customer entered. It was Leroy, one of the town gossips, 

He strode up to the counter like he owned the place and confidently asked one of the cooks, who had his back turned, “What specials do you have today?”

Without turning, he answered, “Nothing you’ll like, Leroy, now go home,” in such a soft voice (with a British accent, no less) that when he spoke, Regina was sure that at the sound of it, she had melted into a puddle that Ruby would need to clean up later. She didn’t know how she hadn’t come into the diner before now, but somehow she did know that she was meant to, as crazy as that sounded.

Or maybe you just want to listen to his voice all day long, Regina, get a grip, she scolded herself. 

Regina was brought out of her thoughts by the short bearded man at the counter. Instead of following his suggestion, Leroy had looked at the menu, which Regina hadn’t noticed was posted on the wall by the bar. 

“I’ll have a basket of fries please.”

“With the works?” the cook asked, his back still to him (and me, Regina lamented, eager to see the face that went with that irresistible voice.) 

Once again she scolded herself. What was she, a lovesick teenager? Just because she was awestruck by the sound of his voice didn’t mean that she would think he was handsome too- soft voices that made your heart flutter didn’t come with handsome faces to match, the universe just didn’t work that way. A woman got to enjoy either one or the other, and Regina was sure that she had just so happened to stumble upon a man who possessed the former quality.

“Of course, no one should settle for anything less,” he declared.

The diner employee sighed, clearly admitting that he had lost the battle. “Fine. But don’t blame me when you die from cardiac arrest because despite the fact that I own this diner, what you choose to eat isn’t my problem.”

“I won’t, because I won’t be dying,” Leroy responded confidently. 

“We’ll see about that,” the owner- Robin, Regina realized- replied skeptically. 

She stopped eavesdropping and glanced over at Margot as she tried to figure out if she had ever seen Robin before. As small as Storybrooke was, she knew she had to have seen him- at a town meeting, surely? But maybe he was one of the few townspeople who didn’t go to town meetings. She had to admit that to some extent, she had to agree with him if he stayed away because he thought everyone in the town was crazy.   
Because in a way, they were, there were far too many people in town who drove her nuts. But that was also the part of the town meetings that she couldn’t wait for Margot to experience. With all of those unique personalities in one room, attending a town meeting was like watching a soap opera, only better, because it was a live performance. She chuckled at that simile, which prompted Margot to speak.

“Do you know who that is?” she asked.

Regina nodded. “That’s Leroy, one of the town gossips. He and Sidney, who you’ll probably meet tomorrow night, put The New York Times and social media to shame with how quickly they spread news. And you, as the newest member of the town, will likely be one of their hot topics this week.”

“No!” Margot protested so quickly that Regina laughed. 

“I wouldn’t worry about it, they’re harmless,” she assured her. 

“If they’re so harmless, why don’t you go introduce yourself to the cook you’ve been staring at for the last five minutes?” she retorted. “Wouldn’t that be part of their gossip mill as well?”

Regina was mortified as her cheeks heated. But looking at the girl who was practically her daughter long before Zelena passed away and she had signed the adoption papers, she knew she couldn’t refuse. “Fine.”

She was about to slide out of the booth and go up to the counter, but a soft, “Here you are, milady,” from that melodious voice that had captivated her from the moment she first heard it stopped her in her tracks. 

She looked up slowly to meet the deep blue gaze of the man standing before her, holding a plate in each hand. He set the plates in front of them before saying, “I don’t think I’ve seen you in here before, I’m Robin, and this little diner has been mine ever since my grandmother passed several years ago. What are the names of the two beautiful women I have the pleasure of serving this afternoon?”

Regina shook her head, trying not to look too intently into his eyes. She tried to focus on somewhere different instead, and regretted it instantly, as she spotted the dimples that appeared when he smiled. 

She was finally distracted by her new daughter’s words. “Hi Robin, I’m Margot. And the woman too busy staring into your eyes to say anything is my aunt- mom now, I guess- Regina.”

“Margot!” Regina scolded, her cheeks even more red than they had been. 

“‘Aunt- mom now I guess’?” Robin questioned. “I’m sure there’s a story there that I’d love to hear someday.”

Margot’s face lost all of its animation, turning a chalk white that Regina was sure matched her own features, despite the fact that mother and daughter looked nothing alike. She was in shock that Robin had asked such an impertinent question, then realized that it was unlikely that he would have known about their loss, given that he was just meeting them for the first time. Given that Sidney and Leroy were always in the know, however, and Robin owned one of Storybrooke’s prime meeting locations, she was surprised that Robin hadn’t heard all about Zelena’s passing already.

Seeing their expressions, Robin clearly got the message and rapidly retracted his inquiry. “But that story is for another time, or never, if you like. Just know that I’m here if either of you need me- whether that’s for a shoulder to cry on or someone to just listen, I’ll be there, I promise.”

“What makes you think either of us will need a shoulder to cry on?” Regina asked, her walls coming back up at the suggestion that she would ever need this arrogant man for anything.

His eyes glinted and he held up his hands in surrender. “Well, excuse me, Your Majesty, I was only trying to offer my help to my new friends. But it appears that my assistance isn’t wanted, so you don’t need to worry, I won’t be offering it again anytime soon.”

“Good,” Regina replied, and he walked away.

Regina glanced over at Margot, who was shaking her head. “What?”

“I understand why you got upset- to some degree, I did too- but did you have to take it out on him? The accident wasn’t his fault, you didn’t need to lash out. Poor guy.”

Regina groaned, then took Margot’s hand, which was lying by her untouched plate. “I know. But I just- need something to pay for this. Because while I love having you as my daughter-”

“You want Mom back, I know,” Margot finished for her. “I do too.”

Regina squeezed the hand that was still resting in hers. “I know I’m not your mom. I’m nowhere close, trust me. But I will do my best, it just might take some time adjusting- for both of us. But we’ll figure it out together, okay?”

Margot nodded. 

With that, they settled in to enjoy their food. It was possibly some of the best food Regina had ever tasted. She had been to Maryland, so she knew how crab dip was supposed to taste according to the way they did it, and Robin’s kitchen delivered. The cheesy crab mixture melted in her mouth, the flavors a perfect balance for her to truly savor the experience.

When she and Margot stood to leave, she heard Robin call out, “I look forward to the next time we meet, milady. Perhaps our conversation will go a little better next time?”

“You’ll have to wait to find out,” she raised her voice above the din of the restaurant to answer. With the sound of Robin’s chuckle in her ear, she walked out onto the street, fighting her own grin. She would definitely be visiting Robin’s Diner again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is my Storybrooke entry for OQ Realms Week! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Margot stood at the front entrance of her new school, her arms crossed as she nervously tapped her foot while her aunt parked the car. While she had always been studious, preferring to read rather than watching TV or playing video games (with the exception of the star-studded movies recommended to her by her aunt), she almost wished that she could have dropped out of school rather than start at a new school a year and a half before graduation. 

She had been the top of her class back home, and had been on track to one day be valedictorian. Now she would have to work her way up the ladder at this new school. And while her aunt had gained intel on the school as much as she could, Margot knew it wouldn’t be the same as experiencing the school for herself. 

At last her aunt came running up the steps of the school, out of breath with windswept hair. She brushed her hair out of her mouth, smoothed her pencil skirt, and asked breathlessly, “Ready?”

Margot nodded and followed her aunt inside. The walls were high and lined with green lockers, which was a comfort to Margot. It was like having a piece of her mother with her, since it had long been their favorite color. However, these lockers were a lime green color that Margot detested. She much preferred a darker hunter or emerald green, the color of the grass and trees around her as she took walks outside in her old neighborhood. 

Thoughts of her life up until this point filled her mind as her aunt talked to the principal, Mr. Gold. Afternoons spent at the park, nights singing and dancing to their favorite tunes, snow days building snowmen and sipping hot chocolate… she and her mother had lived a wonderful life, and the fact that all of that had been torn away from her so soon had broken her. She didn’t know who she was without her rock by her side. Yes, they had had their arguments like any other mother and daughter, but at the end of the day, her mother had always respected her decisions and let her learn from her mistakes, something that Margot hadn’t known to be thankful for until it was taken from her. Now she felt like she needed to find herself again, and she didn’t know where to start.

“Miss Mills?” the principal’s voice interrupted her thoughts. 

She shuddered. His voice seemed almost slimy. Like he was used to getting his way, and those who dared to defy him would pay the price- a price that was far too high for the crime. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I can already see what type of student we have gained,” Gold stated, his tone disapproving and condescending. “I asked you, Miss Mills, if you had any questions.”

She shook her head. She was sure she would have questions at some point that day (she was in a new school, after all), but she refused to get answers from this man. She would find out about her new school on her own.

“Very well then,” Gold smirked. He handed her a stack of papers. “Here is your schedule and a map of the school. I expect to see great things from you, Miss Mills, and I always get what I want. You do not want to disappoint me.”

“Yes sir,” she replied, nodding. She looked down at the schedule, then at the map. She was surprised to discover that the location of all of her classes were each highlighted on the map. She suspected that someone other than Gold had been kind enough to do that for her- it didn’t seem like he was the type of educator who tolerated any hand holding. 

She waved goodbye to her aunt and looked down at the papers in her hand. Her first class was biology with Mrs. Nolan, which she discovered at a cursory glance was at the opposite end of the school. 

She started walking in that direction, and successfully found her class. Taking a deep breath, she walked in. 

A woman with dark hair that was styled in a pixie cut looked toward her and smiled, her tone just a little too chirpy when she greeted her. “Hi! You must be our new student.”

She beckoned her inside, and Margot reluctantly stepped into the classroom. She stood awkwardly in the front of the room as her new teacher continued the introduction. “Class, this is Margot Mills. She just moved here, so I expect you to give her a warm welcome. Miss MIlls, feel free to choose any seat you like, and welcome to Storybrooke.”

Grateful that the perky brunette hadn’t made her say anything, Margot surveyed her options. There were more seats available than she had anticipated, but she surmised that the school had accounted for town growth when they planned how many desks should be each classroom. One of the empty desks was next to a dark-haired boy who smirked at her and beckoned with his finger for her to join him. But the expression on his face reminded her so much of Gold in its condescension and conceited air that she ignored him and chose another seat, one that was in the back of the room and at least two seats away from the nearest classmate.

She tried to pay attention as Mrs. Nolan talked them through the parts of cells. She found it ironic that while her school had been studying so much about animals, it seemed that Mrs. Nolan deeply enjoyed so many aspects of human biology. Margot wondered why she didn’t teach anatomy or a college course. 

As her mind wandered, she also observed her classmates. She tried to avert her gaze from the boy who had tried to get her attention, and as she surveyed the rest of the room, her attention was captivated by the girl sitting two seats away from her. She had wild curls that fell to below her shoulders and wore a shirt that contained such a wide variety of colors that Margot wondered how she could manage to see them all at a glance. The girl seemed lost in her own world, twirling her hair around her pencil as Mrs. Nolan spoke, and Margot wondered what it was like to be in her head and how she could seem so focused and so out of place all at the same time.

Once class was dismissed, she continued through the remainder of the day in a haze. There were so many new faces that she struggled to remember them all, all the while missing her old friends desperately. Rebecca, Sean, and Lana were such great friends that she knew she could never replace. She had to admit that she was glad to be rid of Adam and Eddy though. The two boys had been determined to destroy her happiness at every turn, and she had to admit that this school had to be better because it didn’t have them in it. 

Left with no one to sit with in the cafeteria, she found refuge in the library. She was making her way to an empty table when someone shouted, "Look out!!" and something hard collided with her, knocking her to the floor.

"I'm so sorry, here, can I help you?" the same accented voice asked, and Margot looked up to see the girl she had noticed in her class with Mrs. Nolan. 

Her curls fell and hid her face as she bent down to help Margot up. Once both girls were standing upright, Margot got a good look at her face for the first time. Her aquamarine eyes were stunning, and held depths that Margot knew her own emerald eyes could never contain. 

She was brought back to the conversation when the girl introduced herself. "I'm Alice, what's your name?"

"Margot," she responded, holding out her hand for the other girl to shake. 

"That's right, the girl who came to live with the owner of the Dove Inn!" Alice exclaimed. "I've never talked to her, but I've always wanted to know: did she name the inn because of the tattoo on her arm, or was it the other way around?"

Margot smiled. The story of her aunt's tattoo was one of her favorite ones to hear growing up. She knew it well, but didn't want to scare this girl off, so she replied simply, "Long story short, she got it when she was sixteen because she made a drastic change in her life at that age. And the inn isn't hers, but she basically runs it, and I know she wants to own an inn someday. So it's pure coincidence, believe it or not."

"That's a shame," Alice mused. "I like watching people and making up stories about their lives. I guessed that her story was more exciting than that."

"Oh, it is, but because it's not my story to tell, that's all I'll share," Margot told her, a strange but strong desire to tell this girl everything filling her. She held on to her resolve though, determined not to betray her aunt's trust. Having just moved to town, she didn't know how much of her family's story was common knowledge in Storybrooke. 

"Mystery and loyalty, I like it!" Alice declared. "Hey, would you like to have lunch with me? I never have anyone to eat with, so I usually end up eating in here after helping with some shelving. I'd eat in the cafeteria, but some people think I'm strange, I'm not quite sure why."

Margot smiled. When she had walked through the doors that morning, she had never dreamed that she would make a friend this quickly- or that she'd even make friends at all. This town was so small and they were so close to the end of the year and graduation the following year that she had been certain she wouldn't make friends. Kids here had known each other their whole lives, so she had been sure that any new student would be shunned by the rest. She was happy to discover that she was wrong, at least where this girl was concerned. "Sure."

Alice led her over to a table, and they chatted as they ate. Margot learned that Alice had never known her mother and lived with her father, Killian, who was the town's sheriff. 

"He's not a fan of the mayor- no one is, really," Alice informed her. "He always has crazy rules that he makes everyone follow, it's ridiculous. He tried to make Naveen move his new greenhouse just last week because it was a foot over his property line!!"

"That's crazy!" Margot gasped. "Is there no way to stop him?"

"You can make a deal with him, but you have to be careful," Alice warned her. "He's tricky, he always manages to get the upper hand in every deal he makes. I've heard your aunt can give him a run for his money though. And he’s principal of this school too, so there’s no escaping him."

"That sounds like her," Margot replied, smiling. Her aunt had been known for her resilience her entire life. It wasn't a surprise to her that that reputation had followed her to Storybrooke.

"She sounds so interesting, I want to meet her," Alice said thoughtfully. "Truthfully, I've always wanted to meet her, but it never happened."

"You can meet her anytime, just come over!" Margot said eagerly. The words just spilled out of her mouth, and she regretted them the instant she said them. What was it about this girl that made her so eager to share her life story with her? She probably thought that Margot was asking for too much considering they had just met. Even in a town as small as this one, who would do something like that? "Or you could join us for breakfast at Robin's or something. We just discovered it and my aunt is obsessed with their coffee," she suggested, then berated herself:  _ Nice going, Margot, that's even worse _ . Now Alice wouldn't want to spend any time with her at all.

"I'd love to!" the blonde readily agreed. "Either of those options- which do you think your aunt would prefer?"

"I think you should join us at Robin's," Margot suggested. "We've only been a few times, but it's really casual, and seems like the perfect place to meet up with friends. You probably don't want to go to the house of someone you just met anyway."

"All right then," Alice responded. "Though I wouldn't've minded coming to your house at all. You'll learn this about me soon enough, so I may as well tell you now: I'm far from shy."

"I'm learning that," Margot laughed. "Seven fifteen at Robin's tomorrow morning? Or would you prefer to wait for a weekend day?"

“Tomorrow morning’s great!” Alice declared, rummaging in her pockets. “Just let me put it-”

Before she could finish her sentence, an array of objects fell out of her pockets, including her phone, which landed on the ground with such a loud racket that Margot suspected that it had broken.

Sure enough, when Alice picked it up, the screen was cracked. “Oh well,” she laughed. “As long as it still works, it’ll be all right.” 

After a minute, she nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

See you then,” Margot replied as the girls separated to go their separate ways. She didn’t know what the future held, but somehow she already knew that knowing Alice would mean her life would never be boring.

********

Robin entered the Dragonfly Inn, heading straight to the kitchen, where his friend Tiana was expecting him. While they frequently disagreed on recipes (she favored complex culinary masterpieces while he favored simple comfort food), they traded tips and the occasional recipe with enough regularity that she had become one of his closest friends. Normally, they would do this in the safe spaces of his apartment or her home, but as the result of a lost bet, she was doing a comfort food week that week at the Dove Inn, so she had called him to give her an expert’s opinion of what she had concocted thus far.

Instead of a vocal greeting, Tiana shoved a spoonful of something in his mouth. “Sour cream mashed potatoes, what do you think?”

Robin held up a finger as he took a moment to swallow. “Very good,” he complimented her. “They could use a little more sour cream though, I can only taste it because you told me it’s there.”

“More sour cream!” she exclaimed, rounding on a member of her staff. “Remy, why didn’t you tell me that?!?”

The poor sous chef cast Robin a furtive, wide-eyed glance, so he quickly came to his rescue. “It’s only something that someone who’s had this dish before can detect, so it’s all right. Just add more and you’ll be fine.”

“But how much more?” she demanded. “A cup? A quarter of a cup? A teaspoon? I need to know the answer to these questions, Robin!”

“Tiana, easy, what’s going on here?”

Robin jumped at the sound of  _ her  _ voice. Regina, the woman who had captivated him from the moment she set foot in his diner, apparently also worked at the Dove. Due to his infrequent visits, he had never seen her there before. Instead of the jeans and t-shirt she had been wearing on the day they met, she was wearing a form-fitting pencil skirt and a red shirt with a low neckline that left just enough to the imagination to drive Robin mad.

He quickly snapped out of his reverie, however, when he saw the look on her face and remembered the events of the day they met- more specifically, the ignorant comments he had made. While theirs was a small town, the rumor mill had apparently not heard all of the details of Regina’s story, which he admired. It was nice to discover that someone else in the small town they inhabited was more reserved instead of discussing every aspect of their lives so often that the entire town knew matters which should remain private.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him. “Don’t you have a diner to run?”

“Of course, milady,” he answered. He saw her eyebrows shoot up at his use of the endearment, but he persisted. “I was simply helping Tiana with a new recipe.”

“That I wouldn’t be making if it wasn’t for him,” Tiana sulked. “He bet me that I couldn’t go a whole week without criticizing someone in this kitchen… and I lost. So now, instead of the fine dining our guests are used to, this week, they have to tolerate comfort food. Comfort food! Who wants comfort food when they’re on vacation? Vacations are for trying new things!”

Regina cocked her head to the side. “Actually, I think it’s a good idea. You could make biscuits for breakfast, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, peanut butter and jelly…”

“Peanut butter and jelly?!?” Tiana yelled, glaring at Robin. “Do you see what you’ve done? The mere suggestion of peanut butter and jelly is taboo in this kitchen, now you’ve made it a viable option for a well-balanced meal!”

“I’m simply trying to help you expand your repertoire,” he said calmly, unable to suppress a small smirk. “Forgive me for trying to encourage you to be more talented than you already are.”

Tiana sighed. “Fine. Just don’t expect me to make something as flavorless as  _ peanut butter and jelly _ in the future, and we’ll be fine.”

“Noted,” he chuckled. “Although there’s nothing wrong with peanut butter…”

Instead of dignifying his comment with a response, she went over to the refrigerator, a clear dismissal. When Regina exited the kitchen, Robin followed, hoping to get a minute alone with her.

“Regina,” he called. She paused and turned, a guarded expression on her face. 

“What do you want?” she queried.

“Simply to ask your forgiveness once again for the colossal mistake I made on the day we met,” he said. “Truly, I want nothing more than to be your friend.” Well… he may want a bit more than that. Her dark eyes drew him in in a way that he hadn’t experienced for years. Not since Marian. But the last thing he wanted was to scare her off, so he would keep his opinion of her beauty to himself for now. 

She nodded. “Apology accepted. But I warn you, my trust is not easily earned. And once lost…”

“It cannot be regained, understood,” he nodded. “So does this mean I get a second chance at a first impression?”

“Perhaps,” she told him over her shoulder as she walked over to the front desk. “As long as you stay away from my employees while they’re working- and don’t get in my way.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he called after her, shaking his head. He only knew one thing for sure: this woman was a complex puzzle. One that he was eager to solve as soon as possible. By the looks of things, he was one step closer to that goal, and he couldn’t wait to uncover more about her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this- let me know what you think!


End file.
